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Facebook Patents Tech to Determine Social Class

posted by cmn32480 on Thursday February 15 2018, @02:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the what-could-possibly-go-wrong? dept.

Fnord666 writes:

We've got great news this week for nation-state employees tasked with using social media to spark a class war in previously stable democracies! Facebook is patenting technology to decide if its users are upper, middle or working class -- without even using the usual marker for social class: an individual's income (the patent considers this a benefit).

Facebook's patent plan for "Socioeconomic Group Classification Based on User Features" uses different data sources and qualifiers to determine whether a user is "working class," "middle class," or "upper class." It uses things like a user's home ownership status, education, number of gadgets owned, and how much they use the internet, among other factors. If you have one gadget and don't use the internet much, in Facebook's eyes you're probably a poor person.

Facebook's application says the algorithm is intended for use by "third parties to increase awareness about products or services to online system users." Examples given include corporations and charities.

Engadget

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 15 2018, @03:04AM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 15 2018, @03:04AM (#638046)

    Can I be the guy who shovels poop, forever condemning me and my family to opression and loneliness for the rest of existence?

  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday February 15 2018, @03:32AM (4 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday February 15 2018, @03:32AM (#638057) Journal

    Well, yes, of course you may join one of the subhuman classes. It is only the upper classes that insist on exclusivity. The most exclusive, of course, is the Ruling Class. And, you can only buy your way into the Ruling Class with many many millions of dollars. To reach the upper echelons of the Ruling Class requires billions, but you may gain Entry Level Ruling Class with only millions.

    • (Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday February 15 2018, @05:41AM (3 children)

      by driverless (4770) on Thursday February 15 2018, @05:41AM (#638092)

      That depends on what country you're in. You can get into the ruling classes with no formal education whatsoever, and even become President of the country. You don't even need to be able to count [youtube.com] or pronounce basic words [youtube.com].

      • (Score: 2) by riT-k0MA on Thursday February 15 2018, @05:48AM (2 children)

        by riT-k0MA (88) on Thursday February 15 2018, @05:48AM (#638095)

        He just resigned [businesstech.co.za]

        • (Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday February 15 2018, @06:22AM

          by driverless (4770) on Thursday February 15 2018, @06:22AM (#638106)

          It's the beninggging.. the.. the bini... the begingining.. yah.. the.. ahh.. the... listen properly... the... beninging yeah.. the the beginingih.... eeee... the bengginingi.. the beninggibeningi.. the start of the end.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 15 2018, @06:37AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 15 2018, @06:37AM (#638111)

          https://www.voanews.com/a/zuma-pushed-out-of-office/4251210.html [voanews.com]

          You mean, kicked out?? Like Mugabe resigned too.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 15 2018, @09:07PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 15 2018, @09:07PM (#638441)

    I think Trump already has a spokesperson.